World Cup: India-England thriller ends in a tie

BANGALORE: This was a game both India and England deserved to lose but in the end it was a tie. If the Indians seemed listless while defending a more than healthy 338, the English after being in a position to spoil the Indian party on a pitch on which the expected demons did not surface, suddenly seemed to have invoked the devil himself. In the end what transpired was the fourth ever tie in the history of the World Cup. 

The match swayed like a pendulum. The Indian total of 338, set up by a record fifth World Cup ton from Sachin Tendulkar, looked good enough at the break, more so as the hosts had gone in with two spinners. England captain Andrew Strauss had different ideas as he set about all but obfuscating Tendulkar's knock with his maiden World Cup ton. 

Then came the batting Powerplay. Suddenly from an impregnable 280/2 from 43 overs, when Strauss (158, 145b, 18x4, 1x6) and Bell (69, 71b, 4x4, 1x6) were going strong with a 170-run stand off 156 balls, things turned upside down. Zaheer Khan, hit around in his first two spells and held back by Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the Powerplay, got two in two, sending back Bell and Strauss to open up the game again. 

Suddenly the Indians were pumped up, as the English middle and late order collapsed. But then two sixes, one each by Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan, both off Piyush Chawla's final over, the penultimate one of the innings, again changed the game. Fifteen had come from that over leaving 14 required from the last to be bowled by Munaf Patel. With number 10 Ajmal Shazad on strike, the match looked to be in India's grasp, but the drama wasn't over by any means. A solid six and some hurriedly run singles brought the equation to two runs off the ball. They got one and the Bangalore crowd, some of whom had left early seeing India's chances all but gone, got what they expected least. A tie! 

Before that, the Indians had got most things right. Having decided to play with two spinners in Harbhajan Singh and Chawla, it was important that Dhoni won the toss and allowed his spinners the second use of the pitch. That part went along the script as did the batting, with the top-order firing for the second match in succession. It was even better that the middle-order too got a chance to show their wares and they didn't do too badly either. 

Only Tim Bresnan stood up and got noticed among English bowlers. Having dismissed the fortuitous as well as dangerous-looking Sehwag off his fifth ball, Bresnan came back at the death, to keep the Indians from running away to a total in excess of 350. His final analysis of 10-1-48-5 was true reflection of his showing on the afternoon. 

No other English bowler went under five an over, with James Anderson in real danger of going for twice that. Every Indian batsman got stuck into him. Tendulkar and Gambhir used his wayward line and length to full effect. That Tendulkar (120, 115b, 10x4, 5x6) picked boundaries even off his better deliveries, ensured that it was not to be Anderson's day. 

Once Sehwag (35, 26b, 6x4) had gone, poking at Bresnan for wicketkeeper Matt Prior to bring off a fine one-handed catch diving to his right, the right-left pair of Tendulkar and Gambhir (51, 61b, 5x4) took charge. Without looking in any sort of hurry, the master-blaster milked the bowlers before assaulting them. 

The innings wasn't just about Tendulkar and Gambhir though, even if their 134-run second wicket stand set it up. There was also Yuvraj Singh, rightly promoted ahead of Kohli seeing that it was the 30th over, and Dhoni, whose 25-ball 31 went almost unnoticed. Yuvraj (58, 50b, 9x4) wasn't at his fluent best but who knows this knock could well be the launching pad for more to come. 

Warne predicted it 8 hours ago 

Shane Warne was bang on target when before the start of the match he Tweeted saying "Looking forward to the game between India and England today. My prediction... a tie." And the cracker of a contest which saw 676 runs being scored did actually end up in a tie, making Warne's prediction come true.

Source:-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/cricket-world-cup-2011/news/World-Cup-India-England-thriller-ends-in-a-tie/articleshow/7585674.cms

Gautam Gambhir: Fire all the way

If cricketers won bravery awards for on-field exploits, Gautam Gambhir would be hard to beat. So it's a frightening thought that India might never have discovered the real Gambhir if he'd been consigned to plodding away in the domestic arena. Maybe, Gambhir wouldn't have discovered himself. 

Even here, though, when the world was yet to wake up to his immense fighting ability, his Delhi teammates and opposition players would talk of him in awe. They alone knew the inner steel that drove him, and his immense belief in himself. Sometimes, the veneer of self-doubt would peel away and the real Gambhir would emerge, like in the 2007 Ranji season when he rode roughshod with the bat and as captain, was extremely aggressive throughout. Especially on opposition tail-enders, who would find themselves facing a barrage of chatter, with an animated Gambhir exhorting his bowlers to pepper away the short stuff. 

Delhi's players are known for many things, but being khadoos isn't one of them. Before international stardom, Gambhir brought Mumbai's street-fighting qualities into Delhi's flamboyant approach on the field. It's a quality which helped him survive an immensely low period nearly four years back, when repeated snubs from selectors, a realization of his technical shortcomings and fear of injury threatened to tear his life apart. He even contemplated quitting the game. 

Today, as one of the fundamental cogs in Team India's wheel, he personifies the unit's new-found grit. It's a case study in determination. From being dangerously close to a journeyman, Gambhir has worked his way into being the most improved Indian cricketer of the past decade. He has surprised everyone along the way, except those who witnessed this stubborn streak from close quarters. He stands an inspiring presence among a bunch of world beaters. 

On the face of it, Gambhir is the most unassuming face of an enviably starry lineup, but don't let that fool you. Off the field, he is endearing, humble and cultured. On it, he doesn't have the towering talent of a Tendulkar. Not for him the maverick genius of a Sehwag. He can't entertain or explode beyond belief like a Yuvraj either, or yet provide the assurance of a Dravid or Laxman. 

Yet the fire rages within. Gambhir is a busy player with an iron will who works away like a man possessed. Once he makes up his mind to prove a point, he will not be denied. His effective presence in all three formats makes him arguably the most valuable player in the squad heading into the World Cup. 

Busy, efficient and incredibly flexible of approach, once he had worked out how to avoid falling over while playing on the on-side, and learning which balls to leave outside off, he discovered hidden dimensions to his batting. The volatile temperament was kept well leashed. 

This new Gambhir would confidently stand outside his crease to negate the swing. He would stand and stonewall, like at Napier, and provide uncanny consistency. He would take on the Aussies at their own game and shed the baggage of throwing his wicket away after good starts. The insecurity and uncertainty gradually faded away. 

What makes Gambhir special: 

Twinkle-toed: Talk about Gambhir's batting and what instantly comes to mind is his uncanny and uncommon (among most Indian batsmen) ability to step out of the crease to fast bowlers. That ability alone makes Gambhir appear more complete as a batsman than others. However, what is further unique is that he plays spinners equally well if not better than the best in business. His lofted extra-cover drive is worth going miles to see. 

on-side God: There's not one shot that you can associate Gambhir with. But if a trademark has to be chosen then it is his ability to send any full-length delivery — bowled at his legs - scorching through the on-side between long-on to deep fine-leg. 

Goodbye risk: Gambhir is fast learning the art of reducing risks while batting, an ability you associate Sachin Tendulkar with. That in turn has increased his chances of staying longer at the crease. While Gambhir can play most cricketing shots with ease, his ability to leave alone a delivery if he's unsure about adds meat to his batting.

Source:-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/world-cup-2011/profiles/india-profiles/Gautam-Gambhir-Fire-all-the-way/articleshow/7448587.cms